Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-30
y SPRING DAY.
BY JULIA X. WETHERILL-

BY JULIA K. WETHERILL-
Colin stone sat on the front porch, with his
chair tipped back against the railing. He was
smoking. and watching in happy contemplativs
way the wreaths that curled up from his long
stemmed pipe
Lucy, his wife, came to the door and stood there
with a hand on each side OF the framework, SHIFT
Ing idly from one foot 10 the other. Her slim
ngure lent itself plianty TO attitudes OF careless
ease that would have looked slOuehing and awk.
ward 10 most people. She had little fiower-like
face. with small, irregular features; clear blue
eyss and hair OF light red gold, lying upon her
head In loose short curlS. The color IN her lips
was deep and rich and there was a fresh tinge OF
red In her cheeks, with here and there freckle
"C0lin," she said, you ought To have seen Jacky
Chasing the little turkies he tried hard catch
them, and he tripped and fell down, but he didn't
cry a bit"
'Oh. he's a wonderful boy said Colin, removing
his pipe 10 laugh.
A little curly head was thrust between the
mothers skirts and the dOor-frame, and Jacky
sent up a lament about the turkieS that had
sluded him
'No, no. you can't have them" said Lucy, '-but
come with mamma, and Wen put the baby turkleS
10 bed"
Coins eyes followed the slender figure OF his
wife. with the twO-year-0ld boy trotJlng beside
her. clutching her finger the little feet stamping
Then he looked abroad. spring was every
where. The sky was deeply blue, the slantlng
rays Of the afternoon sunlight streamed through
the young ooughS. The white heads VI clover
JOSted each other In the roadside fringes OF grass
Across the way the boomy cloud or the china
thick with tiny flowers that had a scent Of the
earth His garden plot was fragrant and fuii OF
color, theexquisite wisteria and the yellow honey
suckle with Its pleasant country smell crow1tu
aud clustered about the porch. Un one size . tan
Dick hedge OF Cherokee, the wild white rose OF
the South, screened the garden from the pdSsers-
by upon he narrow lane that ran beside IT, The
high road lay in front and beyond that the ieNee
and the Jurbid breadth OF the Mississippi RIVER,
transformed by cleaning afternoon lights INTO an
enchanted stream.
TWAS a DAY OF hope A thrill of joy and pain
PASSED through the mans heart IL was ali so
teautIiuI-so beautiful The voices OF his wife
and child, prattlng tO5etherfn the sweet Language
or babyhOOd, came 10 him where he sat some
times he caught n glimpse OF Lucy'S bright hair
between the screen OF leaves. lie thought OF the
dark days when his life had seemed 50 intolerable
that he had come near To ending 1t with his own
hand
suppose" he unused, that had done it and it
had been made my punishment 20 look out OF he'll
The thought made his heart trenble. He felt
that he must thank God for his deliverance.
Colin called Lucy, 'are you going for the
"Why, yes. had almost forgotten It,"
"Wen- don't forget TO take my letter TO Cousin
sabina. IL Is on the mantelpieee behind the blue
vase.
1t did not take Colin long to kiss Lucy and
Il
fore him, seemingly endless, with nat monOtony
that would have been maddening to an adventur-
Gus spirit; but 10 Colin IL seemed the embodiment
OF pacidity and sweet content.
The sun was full OF mild warmth, though the
wind that blew had tart touch or chlliness in H.
just IN front OF him troop OF brown butterflies
rrolicked above the ground with a gaiety that
seemed quite inconsistent with their sober dress.
Colin sashed at the clovertops with his stick and
tossed cheerful word TO a ragged negro, who
trudged beside a slow ox-cart.
Through the dusty cloud made by the broad
tired wheels he saw the fgure OF woman ap-
preaching from the direction OF the village. and it
was not long before they met. She walked heavily,
and her dress, once handsome, was shabby and
powdered with dust. She paused as If glad OF an
''Can you tell me how far 1 am from Colin stones
houseT" she said, In hoarse, broken voice.
They looked at each other she spoke and he
saw face that had once been beautiful but was
now worn and Scared with q hundred vicious
lines, the complexion coarse and muddled
In a moment she said, ''Oh, it's your
His dry lips refused 20 answer her.
This was the wife he had believed dead for
twelve years; the woman who had ruined his
home and happiness, and growing tired OF him
had LETT him. When she had crept back again.
III and broken he had given her shelter: loyeless
but mercifuL But nothing could reclaim her. Ii
had not been long before she wearied anew OF her
tame. respectable life and left him, and this time
he had received letter from the West telling him
OF her death And now she had come back to
blast his life.
AT sight OF the pallor upon his face she broke
into q diScordant laugh.
chow scared you look ~ she cried.
why have you come back. Annette?" he
asked
"Do you think 1 don't know all about you
that you have another wife and child? Oh,
there Amt much you can tell me about yourself
that don't know already. Why have come
backf" she pursued, mock1ngly-"why. because
In peace and quietness under my own roottree, in
the afternoon OF my days, as the book says"
.1Oh. you devil,~ he cried.
''Come, don't call names am Your wife
after all, and the other one isn't
Colon did not seem 10 heed her taunt.
.Come into the field here he said 81 don't
want TO be seen standing In the road With Won SA
She followed him into a waste meadow weedy
and overgrown with thistles and coarse grasses
fence that had fallen into a mere heap OF rotten
rails, and the blackberry vines riOted over its
Decay. Here and there among the rank growth
were fruit trees-plun trees with their frOthy
foam OF blossoms, gnared apple trees that bore a
scant and bitter harvest, wandering DOughs OF
peaeh-bioom, and ounce branches tinged with
Annette" said Colin. trying to clear the husky
sound irom MS Voice what good will it do you 10
upset my whole life? II you will go quietly away
will send you money every month SO that you
can live comfortably"
NO" she retorted impudentIy, 81 want The
moral support OF husband want some one TO
work for me. What's the use of bandyfng words =
dead:"
"Oh, IL struck me II would be a good plan. /
was afraid you might ind out where waS-you
and Try 10 reclaim me-"
she made few steps forward; but he put him
SELF IN front OF her.
where are you going9" he asked.
Il am going 70 have look at your house and
your new wife"
woman" said Colin, .'lid ever lay the weight
OF my hand upon you IN all the years you made INV
home he'll? But now tell you that II you take
another step I'll strike you dead"
she looked at the white face out of which the
eyes burned black, and the tense hand clutchlng
the knotty stick, and shrank back, daunted, yet
half admiring.
only che
didn't you treat Ine that way when We lived to-
SetDer. Coha? always liked man TO be man.
bnt thooght you were poor fool when you took
me back, although knew you hated me-
III your heart were not black you would re-
member The past and leave me In peace"
II ten ! on am tlred or being cuIed about the
world, she replied enormously. Il want TO set
Tie down. don't mean want 10 sray here IL
you'll come away with me I'll 90 quietly In not
silence followed her unspOken threat.
Colin stood with his eyes fixed upon the ground
There arose In his mind picture OF his own yOrlrh
Tull Of brightness and promise; how he had risen
rapidly In his PROBES Ion, and how this woman had
Gisgraced him so that he had logged 10 hide him
sell from the world. When he looked al her he
cursed the fOrbedraEce that had given her shelter
Then, believing her dead he lett his Northern
home and came 10 the South, where no one knew
his history. To break with the past entirely he
had become tiller OF the soil, and his crops had
nUurished and rewarded his industry
Years passed and he struck his roots deep down
Into tho quiet country he had chOSed for his own
Then he met Lucy with her flower face and shin
Ing hair; and love, which had seemed "A thing i'm
possible 10 him, blOSsOmed again sweetly In his
heart.
Those few years, How simple and happy they
had been. They were ended now III he must
lcaye her-as IL seemed he IluSt-hP would ma ke